Do you need another reason to keep Texas A&M out of the SEC? Well here's one. The Aggies have no female cheerleaders. That's right, none. Nada. Zilch. Instead they have a group of male "Yell Leaders" who stand in their place. Apparently Texas A&M thinks cheerleading is too strenuous of a job for dainty females to handle down there in College Station, and that it must only be handled by men.
This explains why Texas A&M senior David Benack , a 6'10 obelisk of a man is conspicuous standing between Kansas cheerleader Emily Kemph, and her very sequined Oklahoma State counterpart Megan Mayberry at the Big XII Media Days event.
The SEC has a high set of standards, and that includes having the most beautiful women in the world at the sidelines cheering on the players of their respective schools. Yes, there are male cheerleaders in the SEC. But the schools in the conference have the common sense to admit that yes, they are male cheerleaders. They don't stoop down to try to hide that fact like Texas A&M does with that audacious "Yell Leader" handle.
(via Busted Coverage)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

(Covering Dixie Like Mildew is the SWRT roundup of SEC news, with the occasional pesky Southern school from another conference.)
Lookout Mountain on the Tennessee-Georgia-Alabama border.
"Alabama's Timeline Makes No Sense" in regards to the T-Town Menswear drama.
Because Clay Travis says so. (Outkick the Coverage)
And from the Bill Clinton "I did not have sex with that woman" dept.
Meanwhile, Izzy Gould reports that the University of Alabama sent a letter to T-Town Menswear owner Tom Albetar cutting ties between the two, while not actually admitting there were any ties between the two entities in the first place. (al.com)
The Stepford Lineman?
ESPN's Chris Low interviews Tennessee defensive lineman and Derek Dooley dress-alike Malik Jackson in all his Stepford Wives-esque glory in video from SEC Media Days. (ESPN)
Talk is Cheap.
Tennessee head football coach and human quote machine Derek Dooley is ready to do more walking the walk than talking the talk. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
I'll Stick Around.
LSU athletic director Joe Alleva has turned down an offer to become Tennessee AD. (ChuckOliver.net)
Cursed?
The announcement of Georgia wearing Nike Pro Combat uniforms in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game brings up the ghosts of the now-infamous black jerseys and black helmet "wardrobe malfunctions" in losses to Alabama and Florida. (ChuckOliver.net)
Hot Seat? What Hot Seat?
Your "Mark Richt on the Hot Seat" item of the day. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Jeff Demps is now a one-sport man.
Florida running back Jeff Demps will focus on football instead of pursuing both football and track and field in his senior season. (Associated Press)
"Kentucky Can't Beat Tennessee or Florida."
Because Mark Inabinett says so. (al.com)
"SEC Looking to Invade Europe"
Don't laugh. The Sorbonne could be a FBS powerhouse in a few years. (Saturday Down South)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

It's time for South Carolina Quarterback Stephen Garcia to make some room in the Gamecock doghouse. His quarterback coach, G.A. Magnus has been suspended for his own alcholol related run-in with the law. According to reports, Magnus was arrested after being found by police relieving himself in public. The reports also state that he "was unsteady on his feet with a strong smell of alcoholic beverages." Steve Spurrier must be having a load of cattle after this one.
(via MidlandsConnect.com)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Here's former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy in a commercial for Tuscaloosa clothing retailer T-Town Menswear. The store has raised eyebrows recently for its connections to former Alabama players including McElroy, Mark Ingram, and Julio Jones.
I seriously hope the clothes T-Town sells looks better than that sweater-vest McElroy is wearing. Wait, did someonw just say sweater vest? That may be why Alabama sent the retailer a cease-and desist letter barring the store from "the sale or distribution of items depicting student-athletes," and selling " items autographed by student athletes"in December. The ghost of Tresselgate is going to cast a giant shadow over the NCAA for a long time to come.
(via The Birmingham News, al.com)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

(Covering Dixie Like Mildew is the SWRT roundup of SEC news, with the occasional pesky Southern school from another conference.)
"The SEC should expand by adding Texas A & M University as soon as possible."
No, it shouldn't. (Leather Helmet Blog)
Workin' at the Car Wash.
Looking at the first day of the SEC Coaches' to The Melting Pot of Sin ESPN's Bristol campus. (SEC Digital Network)
More than just a cowbell.
Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen relates a story regarding the funeral of the late Bulldog player Nick Bell, and how it brought home to him the importance of the school's cowbell ringing tradition. (ESPN)
Meet Fletcher Cox.
ESPN's Chris Low has a video interview with Mississippi St. defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. (ESPN)
No More Mr. Nice Guy?
It's time for Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik to quit being so nice when it comes to the media. (Track 'Em Tigers)
Looking for Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game tickets?
Tough. The remaining 800-plus tickets for the Georgia-Boise State sold out in less than two minutes on Monday. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Humor in Uniform.
Georgia players got their first look at the Nike Pro Combat uniforms they'll be donning against Boise St. in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game via a little prank from their head coach Mark Richt. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Rough break for Jarvis Landry.
LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry is recovering from surgery on his right foot after breaking it in a 7-on-7 game. (CBS Sports)
Tennessee linebacker Austin Johnson arrested on alcohol-related charges.
Insert obvious joke about Tennessee players wearing orange here. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
Stay Golden.
Alabama broadcasting legend Eli Gold signs a new four-year contract extention which will keep him announcing Crimson Tide games through 2017. (Tuscaloosa News)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Is it time to call in George Noory and Alex Jones about Tresselgate? With the news that the NCAA won't drop "failure to monitor" charges on Ohio State, there are already charges that the news sounds a little suspicious itself. Bob Hunter of The Columbus Dispatch already seems to be doing so.
"It's hard to believe Tressel was the only one who knew, that he didn't discuss the situation with anybody at the university. It's all Tressel's fault? How convenient.
It's also remarkable the NCAA couldn't find much beyond the initial violations. Not because Ohio State runs a dirty program, but because a serious investigation of any program would turn up at least some minor violations. I keep thinking about how those ineligible players were allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl with the NCAA's blessing, and I'm trying to convince myself that the hypocrisy stops before it gets this far."
The next thing you know, someone will claim this was the man the NCAA sent to investigate the Buckeyes:
Pretty soon, Ohio State getting off easy will be blamed on everybody from the BCS, to the Trilateral Commission,the CIA, the Illuminati, the Bilderberg Group, Opus Dei, etc.Oh wait, Opus Dei backs Notre Dame. So scratch that last one.
(via The Columbus Dispatch, ESPN)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

SEC Media Days is "The most eventful 'nonevent' in captivity."
Because the Los Angeles Times Chris Dufresne said so. Shut up, Chris. (Los Angeles Times)
Where is my motivation?
Alabama tailback Trent Richardson is motivated to win in 2011 by last season's loss to Auburn, and by the tornado that ravaged Tuscaloosa in April. (The Tennessean)
Your Mark Richt on the Hot Seat Item of the Day.
T. Kyle King of Dawg Sports questions if Georgia head football coach Mark Richt's character might be what saves his job in a college football sea full of rules violations. (Dawg Sports)
That Don't Impress Me Much.
A Sea of Blue's Glen Logan doesn't believe the sanctions Tennessee imposed on itself didn't go far enough. I wonder if he'll think the same if/when Kentucky eventually placed sanctions upon itself over head men's basketball coach John Calipari's actions. (A Sea of Blue)
Sweet Home Alabama.
A selection of Alabama-themed cakes. Complete with a couple of cakes in the shape of Bear Bryant's legendary houndstooth hat. (Roll Bama Roll)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

It's been 67 years since Alabama played another in-state college football team other than Auburn. That was Howard College (which is now Samford) back in 1944. This fact hasn't hasn't gone unnoticed in the Cotton State, where programs like Troy and UAB have made it to the FBS level.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban was asked about this on Friday at SEC Media Days in Birmingham. He gave a reply saying he wouldn't mind playing another in-state program.
“I personally do not have an issue playing in-state schools,” Saban said. “In fact, we sort of instituted at LSU that we do that. We played Tulane, but they hadn’t played the other schools. We started to do that so it promoted all the programs in-state. So I certainly would support the effort to do that in our state in Alabama.”
Obviously the state of Alabama hasn't had a rich history of Division I football outside of either Tuscaloosa or Auburn. But with the emergence of Troy and UAB as respectable lower-lever FBS schools (if not true mid-majors), and the fledgling South Alabama program, the state is joining Florida as the only SEC-affiliated states with four noteworthy FBS programs. It would seem natural for Alabama to play them once in a while.
Naturally there are two genuine reasons for the smaller schools to play Alabama, and the odds of winning against the Tide isn't one of them. As mentioned, promotion of the programs is one reason. The other obvious reason is money. Alabama would obviously have to pay the schools to come to Tuscaloosa (the chances of the Tide playing an away game at Troy are slim to none). It's assured the smaller programs would gladly cash the check from a beatdown by the Tide.
This does bring up the question of whether or not anybody outside Alabama (other than alumni of Troy, UAB, and South Alabama) really want to see the Tide play non-Auburn in-state schools. With only four non-conference dates on the calendar every year, the chances to see Alabama play a respectable non-conference team every year are usually few. (Though the Tide face Michigan in 2012, and Virginia Tech in 2013. Both in neutral-site games) Most college football fans would probably rather see the Tide play at least a mid-level Big Ten or Big XII team than a lower-level in-state program.
(via The Gasden Times)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Dodging the bullet?
Ohio State won't get a "Failure to Monitor" charge from the NCAA because of Tresselgate. (The Columbus Dispatch)
Double your pleasure?
Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald would like the Wildcats to play in Wrigley Field again in the future. (The Chicago Tribune)
The Big (Glass) House.
MGoBlog mocks the news that Michigan State will be wearing alternate Nike Pro Combat uniforms in their game against Michigan. Uh, what's Michigan wearing against Notre Dame again? (MGoBlog)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

(Unquiet on the Western Front is SWRT's look at the Pac-12, WAC, Mountain West, and other West Coast/Rocky Mountain schools extravaganza.)
Please come to Boston (or vice versa).
Bruins Nation wants UCLA to play Boston College. (Bruins Nation)
Back to Black.
Utah plans for a "blackout" game against Oregon State on October 29. (Block U)
Get into gear.
Stanford will be donning Nike Pro Combat uniforms against Notre Dame on November 27. (Rule of Tree)
Hot ticket.
Stanford's ticket sales are up 33% from last year. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Awkward headline of the day.
In discussing the California-Fresno State game at San Francisco's Candlestick Park, California Golden Blogs asks "Is Candlestick Bear Territory?" Uh, do you really want an answer to that question? (California Golden Blogs)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

While no one has been looking, Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley has been building a small cult of personality in the Volunteer State. Dooley's followers are obsessed with his hair, his hat, his incredible way with words, and now apparently his fashion sense. At Tennessee's SEC Media Days session on Thursday, Vol seniors Tauren Poole, Malik Jackson, and junior Dallas Thomas were conspicuous in the fact that they were all dressed like His Hairness' "black suit, orange tie and a Power T on the lapel."
"Thursday's dress might have appeared orchestrated, if not mandated. But this display of team unity actually was achieved independently.
Thomas laughed with surprise when told during a News Sentinel Sports Page radio interview that he was dressed no differently from head coach Derek Dooley. He laughed again when the coach — dressed almost identically — took his place at the microphone.
"I guess Coach Dooley is influencing us," Thomas said later."
Want visual proof? Here it is.
Defensive tackle Malik Jackson.
Running Back Tauren Poole.
Left tackle Dallas Thomas.
Poole still had a little bit of individuality. Dooley will be sure to work on that as the 2011 season progresses. A little bit of conformity is okay, but it can be taken to extremes. If the Tennessee squad all decide to get Tyler Bray-esque tattoos on their backs, then it'll be time to panic.
(via Knoxville News-Sentinel)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

(Covering Dixie Like Mildew is the SWRT roundup of SEC news, with the occasional pesky Southern school from another conference.)
GENERAL
Today in Expansion Silliness:
More talk about the possibility of Texas A&M and Oklahoma jumping from the Big XII to the SEC. (rivals.com)
On a related note...
A Sea of Blue looks at what the Longhorn Network's existence means to the SEC. Besides the threat of Texas A&M joining. (A Sea of Blue)
Tattoo You.
Another look at the tattoos of Tennessee star QB Tyler Bray, and Alabama QB A.J. McCarron, this time from a woman's point of view. (Outkick the Coverage)
SEC EAST
Georgia will be sporting Nike Pro Combat uniforms in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
Be afraid, Bulldog Nation. Be very afraid. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
The Weight of the World.
With Georgia still feeling the losses of Caleb King and Washaun Ealey during the summer , more responsibly for success is falling in the hands of quarterback Aaron Murray. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Another "Mark Richt on the Hot Seat" article?
Another "Mark Richt on the Hot Seat" article. (rivals.com)
He's Baaaaack!
The Steve Spurrier that we all know and loathe love re-emerges. (Dr. Saturday)
Still a work in progress?
Head football coach Derek Dooley still has a lot of work to do at Tennessee. (The Daily Times)
SEC WEST
Alabama might hive its own mini-Ohio Stateesque scandal on its hands.
Because Clay Travis thinks so. Shut up, Clay. (Outkick the Coverage)
Meet Vick Ballard.
An ESPN video interview of Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard. (ESPN)
LSU QB Jordan Jefferson could be a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Because Jordan Jefferson says so. (Sports Illustrated)
Beer Run.
LSU to produce its own microbrewery beer for educational purposes. Yeah, right. (Kegs 'n Eggs)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

(Big Tentacles is the SWRT look at the Big Ten and the schools it not-so-secretly covets.) LEGENDS This just in: Rick Reilly is not funny. Rick Reilly gives Nebraska a guide to the Big Ten, complete with unfunny and unoriginal snarky comments guaranteed to make you want to stick red-hot forks in your eyes. (ESPN)And what do Nebraska fans think of Reilly's unwarranted expertise?Not much when you really come down to it. (Husk Guys)All we need is just a little patience. Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald and his staff are taking things slow and steady when it comes to quarterback Dan Persa's recovery from a ruptured Achilles' tendon from last season. (ESPN)Black and Gold. Iowa wants fans to wear gold to the game against Pitt, black and gold for the Northwestern, and black for Michigan. (Fight for Iowa)Michigan State to wear Nike Pro combat uniforms Oct 15 game against Michigan.Be afraid, be very afraid. (Detroit Free Press)LEADERSStop Your Sobbing.Eleven Warriors complains about the coverage of Tresslegate when compared to NCAA investigations of schools like LSU and Georgia Tech. (Eleven Warriors)Staph infection at Ohio State. Ohio State tight end Reid Fragel is recovering from a staph infection in his leg. (The Columbus Dispatch)NOTRE DAMEFighting Irish Fatal Four-Way.Notre Dame head football coach has a doozy of a quarterback controversy with four possible candidates for the position. (The Chicago Tribune)BASKETBALLDid He Jump or Was He Pushed?Questions abound as to whether Iowa forward Anthony Hubbard left the team on his own, or was kicked off. (The Gazette)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

(Covering Dixie Like Mildew is the SWRT roundup of SEC news, with the occasional pesky Southern school from another conference.)
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
SEC Media Days begin today. (The Huntsville Times)
The Usual Suspects.
Saturday Down South's ranking of the ten best quarterbacks in the SEC has Georgia's Aaron Murray on top of a list that includes Arkansas' Tyler Wilson, South Carolina's Stephen Garcia, Mississippi State's Chris Relf, and Tennessee's Tyler Bray in the top five. (Saturday Down South)
SEC WEST
It's just a flesh wound. No really, it is.
LSU gets slapped with probation and loss of scholarships by the NCAA for one year. (rivals.com)
"LSU could become the next BCS champion from the SEC with an asterisk."
Because Kevin Scarbinsky said so. Shut up, Kevin. (The Birmingham News)
You're not helping.
The NCAA's investigation of Auburn and Cam Newton is being hampered by all sorts of spurious allegations made by Alabama fans. (Outkick the Coverage)
But Seriously, Folks.
Mississippi State needs to take the University of Alabama-Birmingham as a serious opponent after a close game with the Blazers in 2010. (For Whom the Cowbell Tolls)
SEC EAST
Baby, you're a firework.
High-energy new Florida head football coach Will Muschamp is profiled by al.com's Charles Goldberg. (al.com)
Your "Mark Richt on the Hot Seat" item of the day.
This one comes from Bill King of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Junkyard Blog." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Dawg and Pony show.
Dawg Sports' T. Kyle King takes a look at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Georgia and the Boise State Broncos. (Dawg Sports)
Back for More.
Looking at Vanderbilt's returning running backs. (Anchor of Gold)
List of the Day.
"Top 10 Tennessee Comebacks since 1990." (Rocky Top Talk)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

(Note: portions of this article were printed originally here, and here.)
Texas A&M's Board of Regents are set to get together and have a little talk about rival Texas' much-ballyhooed Longhorn Network on Thursday. This is added more fuel to the fire of the long-dormant talk of the Aggies bolting the ruins of what's left of the Big XII for the sunnier pastures of the SEC that has recently been reignited. While succession from the Big XII isn't reportedly on the agenda, it still is on the minds of many in Aggieland.
It's at this point that I should mention that I absolutely do not want Texas A&M in the SEC. I'd rather see a team like TCU, who are on the rise, and hungry with something to prove join the SEC. So what if they're set to join the Big East? The SEC is Don Corleone, and could certainly make the Horned Frogs an offer they couldn't refuse. Despite a decent season last year, The Aggies have been on the downside for a decade, and 2010 could turn out to be a fluke.
With that in mind, I think it's time to review the main reasons why Texas A&M shouldn't be an SEC team.
The state of Texas has fielded two teams that appeared in either the BCS or BCS bowl games in the past three years. The Aggies weren't one of them.
Texas barely counts as the South. Sure, Texas was in the Confederacy. But I don't recall hearing about Sherman marching through Dallas. (Yeah, there was Galveston. It doesn't really count as driving Old Dixie down.)
TAMU had to bail out the $16 million in-the-hole athletic department. In contrast, the Georgia athletic department gave the school $2 million of its $7 million dollar surplus in 2010 to help overcome budget shortfalls.
Speaking of Georgia, The Aggies lost the 2009 Independence Bowl to the worst UGA team since Ray Goff was coach. And at 6-6, they barely qualified for it in the first place.
This tweet from Dr. Saturday's Matt Hinton:
"Scanning photo wires for last post reminds me again that Texas A&M leads the nation by far in homoerotic rituals."
"The Aggie Song" from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which is too much of a Freudian nightmare even for this blog. And speaking of Freudian nightmares...
The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. There's nothing like an ROTC program transformed into a full-fledged Freudian Nightmare.
This could possibly be the best reason to reinstate "Don't Ask Don't Tell."
Texas Governor Rick Perry is a Texas A&M graduate. 'Nuff said.
So is Neal Boortz.
Reveille, the Texas A&M mascot.
Seriously? A collie? And a female collie if that? Imagine what would happen if she and Uga got loose at the same game at the same time. Think of what the puppies would look like.
Speaking of the Georgia Bulldogs, The Aggies lost the 2009 Independence Bowl to the worst UGA team since Ray Goff was coach. And at 6-6, they barely qualified for it in the first place.
This epic fail of a flash mob.
.
The Aggies don't have cheerleaders, they have Yell Leaders.
I'm beginning to think Matt Hinton was right.
And the best reason to keep Texas A&M out of the SEC:
The SEC already has two teams where Bear Bryant was head coach (Kentucky and Alabama). That's more than enough.
(via The Houston Chronicle, Corn Nation)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles